DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is a “mini-stroke” and how does it differ from the stroke we typically hear about? My mother recently had a mini-stroke, but her symptoms went away. Now she seems fine. Is she at greater risk of having another stroke?

ANSWER: The condition you’re describing is called a transient ischemic attack, or TIA. Symptoms of TIA come and go and, as in your mother’s case, they don’t cause any lasting problems. But a TIA should not be ignored because it significantly increases the risk for having a stroke in the future.

There are two main kinds of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Hemorrhagic strokes happen when there is bleeding into the brain tissue. They are much less common than ischemic strokes. Ischemic strokes happen when a blocked artery cuts off the blood supply to the brain. This type of stroke accounts for about 85 percent of all strokes. Read the rest of this entry »

"Our neural system isn’t adapted for a perfect world. We need the world’s imperfections. They inspire us to improve, cultivate compassion and forgiveness, and find meaning, so we could rise above human limitations. The imperfections that surround us are the cause of our happiness and growth. Accept them to work with them." - Dr. Amit Sood

Primary care doctors are often on the front lines of providing medical care. But they are increasingly in short supply as more aging Americans need health care. On the next Mayo Clinic Radio, family medicine specialist Dr. John Bachman discusses the growing doctor shortage and how to reverse it. Also on the program, Mayo Medical School Interim Dean Dr. Michele Halyard and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Dr. Darcy Reed outline what's new in training tomorrow's doctors. Also, Dr. Paul Takahashi, a specialist in geriatric medicine, talks about how house calls are again being used to provide more efficient care. And psychologist and eating-disorder specialist Dr. Karen Grothe explains binge eating and how it's treated.

Enjoying summer weather and the outdoors can bring on certain health issues. Poison ivy rashes and dehydration are two common culprits. Internal medicine specialist and pediatrician at Mayo Clinic FloridaDr. Vandana Bhide says, "Everybody is outdoors and it's very easy to be exposed to poison ivy even if you don't know it. We see lots of rashes. The second thing I see is dehydration."

Dr. Bhide says to make sure you drink water, some sports drinks, even eat popsicles to stay hydrated. For poison ivy, any kind of topical agent or anti-itch agent, calamine lotion or a soothing oatmeal bath will help decrease the itch. If symptoms persist, see your health care provider.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine found that adding MBI to mammography of women with dense breast tissue increased the costs of diagnosis 3.2 times, compared to costs of mammography alone, and nearly quadrupled the rate of cancer detection. Because the supplemental test found more cancer, screening with a combination of mammography and MBI saved $8,254 per cancer detected.

While mammography is still the standard tool for widespread breast cancer screening, it is now known to perform less effectively in women with dense breast tissue. Both tumors and normal dense breast tissue can appear white on a mammogram, making tumors hard to detect. Nearly half of all women over age 40 have mammograms classified as “dense,” according to Carrie Hruska, Ph.D., a medical physicist in the Mayo Clinic Department of Radiology and the study’s lead author. Supplemental screening techniques like MBI address a significant need for better cancer detection methods for this patient population.

Dr. Bobbi Pritt, director of the Clinical Parasitology Laboratory, says the online, interactive and easy-to-use tool explains what a person needs to know about tick bite prevention, treatment and more. Dr. Pritt invited medical reporter Vivien Williams to the Bacteriology Laboratory where she explains how the flashcards work and how you, your family and your pets can stay safe from ticks.

In a study recently published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society, researchers found that women who underwent hysterectomy were much more likely to have pre-existing cardiovascular risk factors – especially obesity – than women of the same age in the control group who did not undergo hysterectomy. In particular, women under age 35 had the most cardiovascular risk factors and disease, including stroke.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death among women, and women see primarily gynecologists between 18 years and 64 years – a time when early screening for cardiovascular disease would be important,” says lead author and Mayo Clinic OB-GYN Shannon Laughlin-Tommaso, M.D., “We wanted to do this study to find a gynecologic screening method for cardiovascular disease.”

Raffles Medical Group, the largest private group practice in Singapore, is the first health care organization in Asia to join the network. The formal agreement gives Raffles Medical Group access to the latest Mayo Clinic knowledge and promotes physician collaboration that complements local expertise. Through shared resources, more patients can get answers to complex medical questions while staying close to home.

“Our patients have always looked to Raffles to provide them with quality care,” says Dr. Donald Poon, general manager, RafflesHospital. “We share a commitment to enhance care and add value for patients, which has become increasingly important in a changing health care landscape. By working with Mayo Clinic, we will be in an even stronger position to deliver high-quality, best-practice care. This is especially true for both our Centres of Excellence – Raffles Heart Centre and Raffles Cancer Centre.”

“We are pleased to welcome Raffles Medical Group to the network,” says David Hayes, M.D., medical director, Mayo Clinic Care Network. “As we have worked together toward today’s announcement, we have been impressed by the cultural alignment of our two institutions. Raffles continues to raise the bar on the ways in which an integrated, team-based approach can be used to meet the needs of its patients, and we’re very proud of our shared purpose — to bring the highest quality patient care to the region."

Journalists: B-roll video of the Mayo Clinic Rochester campus is available in the downloads.

Every week, Dr. Bobbi Pritt posts a new case, along with the answer to the previous case. Read Dr. Pritt's blog: Parasite Wonders and submit your answers, comments and questions. Enjoy science! Read more about Dr. Pritt's work.

Note from Dr. Pritt: All opinions expressed here are mine and not my employer's. Information provided here is for medical education only. It is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. I do not accept medical consults from patients.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What is the most effective way to whiten teeth? Is it worth it to pay the extra expense for treatment from a dentist, or do the over-the-counter options work just as well? Are they safe for your teeth?

ANSWER: There are quite a few choices available if you want to whiten your teeth. The approved products — both those you can buy at drugstores and those available from your dentist — are safe. Just make sure you follow the directions carefully. Many teeth whiteners are quite effective, particularly if you use them for an extended period of time. If cost is a concern, try the over-the-counter options first. If those don’t give you the results you want, then talk to your dentist about other choices he or she offers.

One of the simplest options is whitening toothpaste. It whitens teeth by removing surface stains, such as those caused by drinking coffee or smoking. Some whitening toothpastes contain the chemical blue covarine. It stays on the surface of the teeth and makes them appear less yellow. Read the rest of this entry »

ROCHESTER, Minn. — Mayo Clinic is announcing results of a study on the effectiveness of left-ventricular assist devices (LVAD) in treating patients with a form of cardiomyopathy called restrictive cardiomyopathy (RCM). The Mayo Clinic study, which is the largest study of its kind to date, demonstrates that LVAD devices are a viable and accessible option for treating patients with RCM, who would otherwise see their health deteriorate or who may not survive. The study suggests criteria that clinicians can use for successful implementation of these devices in RCM.

Approximately 500,000 people are currently living with cardiomyopathy, which is a condition that affects the muscles in the heart. RCM is a rare form of cardiomyopathy that limits the heart muscle from relaxing between beats when the blood returns from the body back to the heart. This causes the heart to pump weakly and restricts the flow of blood to the heart’s chambers. An LVAD is a mechanical pump that helps pump blood from the heart to the rest of the body.